231 'Thou dost not lift up a vain report; thou dost not put thy hand with a wicked man to be a violent witness. 2 'Thou art not after many to evil, nor dost thou testify concerning a strife, to turn aside after many to cause 'others' to turn aside; 3 and a poor man thou dost not honour in his strife. 4 'When thou meetest thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou dost certainly turn it back to him; 5 when thou seest the ass of him who is hating thee crouching under its burden, then thou hast ceased from leaving 'it' to it—thou dost certainly leave 'it' with him. 6 'Thou dost not turn aside the judgment of thy needy one in his strife; 7 from a false matter thou dost keep far off, and an innocent and righteous man thou dost not slay; for I do not justify a wicked man. 8 'And a bribe thou dost not take; for the bribe bindeth the open-'eyed', and perverteth the words of the righteous. 9 'And a sojourner thou dost not oppress, and ye—ye have known the soul of the sojourner, for sojourners ye have been in the land of Egypt.
10 'And six years thou dost sow thy land, and hast gathered its increase; 11 and the seventh thou dost release it, and hast left it, and the needy of thy people have eaten, and their leaving doth the beast of the field eat; so dost thou to thy vineyard—to thine olive-yard. 12 'Six days thou dost do thy work, and on the seventh day thou dost rest, so that thine ox and thine ass doth rest, and the son of thine handmaid and the sojourner is refreshed; 13 and in all that which I have said unto you ye do take heed; and the name of other gods ye do not mention; it is not heard on thy mouth.
14 'Three times thou dost keep a feast to Me in a year; 15 the Feast of Unleavened things thou dost keep; seven days thou dost eat unleavened things, as I have commanded thee, at the time appointed 'in' the month of Abib; for in it thou hast come forth out of Egypt, and ye do not appear 'in' My presence empty; 16 and the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of thy works which thou sowest in the field; and the Feast of the In-Gathering, in the outgoing of the year, in thy gathering thy works out of the field.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 23:1-16
Commentary on Exodus 23:1-9
(Read Exodus 23:1-9)
In the law of Moses are very plain marks of sound moral feeling, and of true political wisdom. Every thing in it is suited to the desired and avowed object, the worship of one only God, and the separation of Israel from the pagan world. Neither parties, friends, witnesses, nor common opinions, must move us to lessen great faults, to aggravate small ones, excuse offenders, accuse the innocent, or misrepresent any thing.
Commentary on Exodus 23:10-19
(Read Exodus 23:10-19)
Every seventh year the land was to rest. They must not plough or sow it; what the earth produced of itself, should be eaten, and not laid up. This law seems to have been intended to teach dependence on Providence, and God's faithfulness in sending the larger increase while they kept his appointments. It was also typical of the heavenly rest, when all earthly labours, cares, and interests shall cease for ever. All respect to the gods of the heathen is strictly forbidden. Since idolatry was a sin to which the Israelites leaned, they must blot out the remembrance of the gods of the heathen. Solemn religious attendance on God, in the place which he should choose, is strictly required. They must come together before the Lord. What a good Master do we serve, who has made it our duty to rejoice before him! Let us devote with pleasure to the service of God that portion of our time which he requires, and count his sabbaths and ordinances to be a feast unto our souls. They were not to come empty-handed; so now, we must not come to worship God empty-hearted; our souls must be filled with holy desires toward him, and dedications of ourselves to him; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.